Courtesy of Theatre of the Big Bend
Theatre of the Big Bend will present its closing weekend of Our Lady of the Tortilla July 5-7 at the Kokernot Outdoor Theatre.
“This play makes people laugh, but it also tells a sweet story about the importance of family. It’s a show that’s really resonating with our audience,” says Sul Ross professor of theatre and ToBB Artistic Director Dona Roman.
Our Lady of the Tortilla is a heartwarming comedy written by Cuban-American playwright Luis Santeiro and directed by Professor Roman. The play follows the Cruz family, who are volatile even in the best of times. Nelson, the youngest son, enters the house in a panic to hide the more obvious religious relics from the sight of his “gringo” girlfriend, who is visiting for the weekend. Nelson’s mother, Dahlia, is obsessed with winning her husband back from his new girlfriend; Eddie, her elder son, shows up in a van with his failed life and pregnant girlfriend. But the “real” pandemonium is caused by sweet, long-suffering Dolores, Dahlia’s old-maid sister, when she sees the face of the Holy Virgin in a tortilla. This miracle brings hordes of believers and reporters to camp out on the Cruz’s lawn to await further miracles. As the family struggles with conflicts, old and new, the endurance of family love is revealed to be the real miracle.
After a successful run of Our Lady of the Tortilla, Theatre of the Big Bend will open the musical comedy Nunsense, written and composed by Dan Goggin and directed by Bret Scott. Nunsense tells the story of the five surviving nuns of the Little Sisters of Hoboken who discover that their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, accidentally killed the other fifty-two members of the convent with tainted food. With the deceased nuns on ice in the deep freeze, the five singing nuns stage a variety show in the Mount Saint Helen’s School auditorium to raise money for the burials.
Tickets for both shows are on sale now in the Fine Arts Building, room 106, on the Sul Ross campus, or online at www.sulross.edu/theatre. Tickets may also be purchased over the phone by calling 432-837-8218. Ticket prices for Tortilla are $10 for general admission, $8 for students and seniors. Ticket prices for Nunsense are $12 for general admission, $10 for students and seniors. Sul Ross students, faculty, and staff get into both shows free with valid ID.
Final three performances of Our Lady of the Tortilla at the Kokernot Outdoor Theatre Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 5, 6, & 7 at 8:15 pm.
Written by Luis Santeiro; Directed by Dona Roman; Scenic Design by Carolyn Barrientes; Technical Direction and Lighting Design by Ross Fleming; Costume Design by Mayra Torres and Dona Roman. Cast: David Altamirano, Eddie Molinar, Joanna Barnett, Alondra Flores, Jessica Westfall, April Crowder, and Avery Callaway.
Nunsense opens July 12 at the Kokernot Outdoor Theatre and runs Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 8:15 pm through August 4.
Book, music, and lyrics by Dan Goggin; Directed by Bret Scott; Technical Direction, Scenic, and Lighting Design by Ross Fleming; Costume Design by Mayra Torres and Dona Roman; Choreography by Marjie Scott.
Cast: Cierra Noel, Sedia Woods, Aliyah Sabour, Olivia Pertuso, and Alyssa Longoria.
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